Apparatus for uniformly etching a dielectric layer

• US 7,316,761 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2003
• Issued: 01/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Curry, Don, Dahimene, Mahmoud, Kim, Yunsang, Liu, Jingbao, Pu, Bryan, Shan, Hongqing, Doan, Kenny L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lund; Jeffrie R
• Application Number:
  US10/357,652
• Publication Number:
  US 20040149394A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,800 Days
• Field of Search: 118/715, 118/723.E, 156/345.33, 156/345.34, 156/345.43, 156/345.47
• US Class Current: 156/345.47
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32009 Arrangements for generation of plasma specially adapted for examination or treatment of objects, e.g. plasma sources plasma generation in general H05H1/24
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3244 Gas supply means
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32541 Shape
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3266 Magnetic control means

Abstract

Apparatus for plasma etching a layer of material upon a substrate comprising an anode having a first region protruding from a second region, wherein the second region defines a plane and the first region extends from said plane. In one embodiment, at least one solenoid is disposed near the apparatus to magnetize the plasma.

Claims

1. Apparatus for plasma etching a layer of material upon a substrate, comprising:

an electrode comprising a first region protruding from a second region, wherein the second region, circumscribing the first region and covering at least part of the substrate, defines a first plane, and the first region, extending from the first plane and covering the center portion of the substrate, defines a second plane which is closer to the substrate than the first plane; and

a dielectric ring circumscribing the first region, wherein the dielectric ring has gas distribution nozzles.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first region is a cylinder.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the cylinder is centrally located within the second region.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second region has gas distribution apertures.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first region has a plurality of gas distribution apertures.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the process chamber further comprises at least one solenoid or magnet to magnetize the plasma in the chamber.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the plasma source comprises a source of radio-frequency power of up to 4000 W tunable in a range between 50 kHz and 13.56 MHz.

8. Apparatus for plasma etching a layer of material upon a substrate, comprising:

a process chamber having an electrode and a cathode;

a plasma source coupled to the cathode; and

a source of etchant gas, wherein the electrode comprises a first region protruding from a second region, the second region, circumscribing the first region and covering at least part of the substrate, defines a first plane, and the first region, extending from the first plane and covering the center portion of the substrate, defines a second plane which is closer to the substrate than the first plane; and

a dielectric ring circumscribing the first region, wherein the dielectric ring has passages for the etchant gas.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the process chamber further comprises at least one solenoid or magnet to magnetize the plasma in the chamber.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the plasma source comprises a source of radio-frequency power of up to 4000 W tunable in a range between 50 kHz and 13.56 MHz.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first region is a cylinder.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the cylinder is centrally located within the second region.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the second region has apertures to distribute the etchant gas.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first region has a plurality of apertures to distribute the etchant gas.

15. An apparatus for plasma etching a layer of material upon a substrate, comprising:

an electrode comprising a first region covering the center portion of the substrate and a second region, circumscribing the first region and covering at least part of the substrate, wherein the first region is closer to the substrate than the second region and is adapted to form an electric field having a magnitude that is greater than an electric field that is formed by the second region; and

a dielectric ring circumscribing the first region, wherein the dielectric ring has gas distribution nozzles.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the second region defines a plane and the first region protrudes from the plane.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the cylinder is centrally located within the second region.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the second region has gas distribution apertures.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the first region has a plurality of gas distribution apertures.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the process chamber further comprises at least one solenoid or magnet to magnetize the plasma in the chamber.